In this installment of our series on how Legislative Council election candidates responded to the questions first time voters told us they most wanted to ask them, we turn to the geographical constituency with the most competing lists, New Territories East. There are 22 lists angling for nine seats. This is the final geographical constituency we covered – stay tuned for our District Council “superseats” candidates post tomorrow!
Varsity interviewed 10 first-time voters to come up with the questions they care about the most. We selected 10, covering political, economic, social and educational issues and sent them to candidates from the five geographical constituencies and the District Council functional constituency. Out of 93 candidate lists, 40 replied. Ricky Wong Wai-kay, Kwok Wai-keung (Federation of Trade Unions) and candidates from the New People’s Party directly refused to answer, while others (including candidates from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong and Youngspiration did not respond or could not be contacted.
Here are the questions we sent to candidates in full:
- Do you support universal suffrage for Chief Executive without pre-selection of candidates?
- Do you think it’s reasonable to disqualify candidates based on their political beliefs and platforms?
- Do you think independence of Hong Kong is practicable?
- Would you support a second term for Leung Chun-ying as Chief Exectuive?
- Do you support a government buy-back of the MTR?
- Do you support a government buy-back of The LINK?
- Do you think the police force has been abusing its powers in recent years?
- Do you think the government should issue more hawker licences?
- Do you support the abolition of the TSA exams for primary three schoolchildren?
- Do you support think the teaching of Chinese in Putonghua should be a long-term goal for Hong Kong schools?
*The following candidate lists did not respond: 03 Liu Tin-shing; 04 Chin Wan-kan (HKRO/CP); 06 Cheung Chiu-hung (Labour); 10 Elizabeth Quat (DAB); 11 Hau Chi-keung; 12 Dominic Lee Tsz-king (Liberal); 13 Tang Ka-piu (FTU); 16 Wong Sum-yu; 17 Leticia Lee See-yin (Justice Alliance); 19 Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang (Youngspiration); 21 Yung Hoi-yan (NPP/CF); 22 Chan Hak-kan (DAB/NTAS)
